ISE increases focus on exchange-traded funds

New group will be known as ISE ETF Ventures

The International Securities Exchange (ISE) today announced that its new product development group will now be known as ISE ETF Ventures. The new name reflects the group's evolving focus and expanded capabilities in the ETF area. With ISE ETF Ventures, ISE has moved beyond its established expertise in index development to offer partner firms a full suite of capabilities to support the launch of new ETFs. In addition to index conceptualization and development, ISE ETF Ventures can assist in bringing new ETFs to market through capital commitment, business development, and marketing support. By offering a wide range of capabilities and flexible approach, ISE ETF Ventures is well positioned as a valuable partner of leading ETF and ETN issuers, industry service providers, as well as new entrants to the ETF landscape such as AlphaClone and PureFunds.

"With ISE's notable expansion in the ETF business, the ISE ETF Ventures brand represents the team's evolution from a sole focus on index development to a much broader suite of capabilities and partnership opportunities in the ETF space," said Gary Katz, President and Chief Executive Officer of ISE. "This group will further tap into the thriving exchange traded products market while contributing to the innovative values and continuous advancement of the company brand."

Kris Monaco, Head of the ISE ETF Ventures team added, "We look forward to committing our expertise, our network, and our capital to expand ISE's activity in the industry. ISE is confident that the direction of this team will strengthen our existing relationships and also allow us to introduce new participants to the industry."

ISE ETF Ventures will continue to grow its partnerships with issuers to launch unique investment vehicles, including ETFs, exchange traded notes (ETNs), and other exchange traded products while also providing financial support for certain new products. ISE currently has a portfolio of over 30 proprietary indexes with 19 exchange-traded products based on them. To learn more about ISE ETF Ventures, please visit www.ise.com/etfventures.